to learn Hands-Only CPR and you could save the life of someone you love, or someone you haven't even met yet.

Video and statistics by the American Heart Association. Visit handsonlycpr.org for more information. The American Heart Association's Hands-Only™ CPR campaign is supported by an educational grant from the WellPoint Foundation. Hands-Only™ CPR is a registered trademark.

Why CPR?

Most Americans (70 percent) feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don't know how to administer CPR or they're afraid of hurting the victim.

Knowing Hands-Only CPR can save a life, and is easier than you might think.
If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.

Learn Hands-Only CPR

It's easy and takes 60 seconds:

Step 1. CHECK.

Tap the victim’s shoulder and look for any reaction. Ask if they’re ok. If they don’t react, check to see if their chest is rising and falling.

If you don’t see signs of breathing…

Step 2. CALL.

Point to a person and tell them to call 911. If you’re alone, use the speaker on your cell phone to do it.

Step 3. COMPRESS.

Lay the victim flat on the ground. Remove any bulky clothing from the victim’s chest. Then, kneel over the victim’s chest. Interlock your fingers. Use the heel of your palm to push down in the center of the chest, directly between the nipples.

Lock your arms straight, to keep from tiring out immediately.

Perform 100 compressions per minute, pushing down hard and fast, about 2 inches per compression.

Use the song "Stayin' Alive" or another 100 BPM song as a guide. This will keep the blood and breath moving properly.

CPR Saved Me

"I shouldn't be here today."Michael Kiernan

Michael's life almost ended when he suffered total cardiac arrest on a southbound A train that had just left 125th Street. Luckily, two NewYork-Presbyterian employees were in the same car: Dr. Sonia Tolani, then a cardiology fellow at Columbia University Medical Center, and Tony Medaglia, who worked in Labor Relations.

For 23 harrowing minutes, they performed chest compressions on Michael, trying to move the remaining oxygen in his blood to his brain until they got to 59th Street, where emergency personnel were waiting. By the end, after 2,300 chest compressions, Tony's suit was soaked with sweat and Sonia's hands were covered with bruises. But their heroic efforts had worked: Michael fully recovered and retained full brain function even though he had been clinically dead for 23 minutes. Michael says, "I've been given a second chance at life—and I'm not going to waste it."